Costa Rica is celebrated for taking strong action to restore forest to 50% of its land via second-growth rainforest. But the ecological functions and biodiversity of ancient old-growth rainforest simply can’t be replaced, since it takes hundreds of years to develop. With the destruction of this rich habitat, many species are now endangered – Costa Rica has over 3800 endangered species.

It’s critical for these at-risk species’ survival to protect the few remaining stands of old-growth Costa Rican primary rainforest. But shockingly, areas of old-growth rainforest are still being sold for as little as $2000 per acre, often to be cut down for monoculture plantations.